NSF I 3 Regional Workshop for MSI Institutions Los Angeles, CA

1. NSF I3 Regional Workshop for MSI InstitutionsLos Angeles, CA Budget Preparation – Things to Consider Costello L. Brown April 3, 2009

2. Keep the Reviewer HAPPY! Happiness of the REVIEWER IS KEY… Therefore, • No tiny unreadable printto circumvent the page limitation, good English, proper spelling, clear tables and budgets with costs that are reasonable and can be well-justified. • Budget Justifications that are straightforward, clear and well aligned with project activities: • No Budgeted Items that are not described in the Project Narrative

3. Goals of I3 • Increase synergy & collaboration among NSF/EHR-funded projects and within/ between institutions • Enhance sustainability • Promote integration of STEM research and education • Broaden participation, attend to critical educational junctures, and/or provide for more globally engaged workforce • Encourage research on intra- or inter-institutional integration & broader impacts

4. NSF Budget Categories • Senior Personnel • Other Personnel 1. Postdocs 2. Other Professionals 3. Graduate Students 4. Undergraduate Students 5. Secretary* 6. Other

5. NSF Budget Categories • Fringe Benefits • Equipment* • Travel 1. Domestic 2. Foreign* • Participant Support* • Stipends • Travel • Subsistence • Other

6. NSF Budget Categories • Other Direct Cost • Materials and Supplies • Publications Costs/Dissemination • Consultant Services* (Evaluator) • Computer Services • Sub-awards • Other • Total Direct Costs • Indirect Costs • Total Direct and Indirect Costs

7. A an B: Personnel Salaries • Salaries for all personnel should be included with amount of time budgeted in months or percent of effort. Salary costs for University Administrators need to be well justified and can sometimes still be a red flag. Such costs should only be included in usual circumstances. • Only employees of the University should be included under personnel categories A and B. • General secretarial support is not permitted. Usually considered to be included in the Indirect Cost for the project.

8. D: Equipment • Normally I3proposals do not include equipment requests: Would require very strong justifications and is not a good idea. • Budget should list w/ dollar amount for each item exceeding $5,000 (grantee could have lower threshold) • NSF does not pay indirect costs (F&A) on equipment

9. E & F3: Travel Meetings and Conferences • Travel, meal, and hotel expenses of grantee employees who are not on travel status are UNALLOWABLE • No more pizza lunches in the lab to “discuss research”,,,, • Award Banquets are not allowable costs.

10. F: Participant Support Costs • Participants or Trainees (not employees – exception school districts – teacher training) • Stipends, subsistence allowance, travel, registration fees, copies, tuition • Funds approved in the budget may not be re-budgeted to other expense categories with out prior written approval of the NSF program officer

11. G1: Materials and Supplies Office supplies and other general supplies should not be included in the budget. Usually supplies are defined as costing less than $5,000 with a specific lifetime. Universities may have their own definitions as to what is equipment and what is supplies.

12. G3: Consultant Services • The Number of Days per year and the daily or hourly rate should be included in the budget. Qualifications of the consultants should be included either in the budget justifications or the narrative. • There is now no limitation on payments to consultants under NSF awards. Payments, however, should be comparable to the normal or customary fees charged and received by the consultant for comparable services, especially on non-government contracts and grants.

13. G3: Consultant Services Professionals who possess a special skill. • Should not be officers or member of the Board of Directors. • Allowable when reasonable in relation to the services rendered. • The NSF previous limitation on Consultant Costs was removed with the 06 Appropriation. • External Evaluator is included in this category. • Conflict of Interest Policies are important. Additional information can be found at the following web site: http:// www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/caar/start.htm

14. Keys to Success: Budgets • Make sure that budget is well aligned with project activities. • Make sure that the Budget Justifications clearly describe each line item in the budget so that the reviewer can see how the specific item amounts were determined. Budget information should be complete and unambiguous. • Make sure that the budget does not appear to be inflated or “deflated”. • Only include items in the budget that are realistic and that can be well justified in terms related to the goals and objectives of the proposed project.

15. Indirect Costs (F&A) • NSF Guidelines GPM 630: • Grantee entitled to full reimbursement of indirect costs • Basic Exceptions - limited or no Indirect cost: • Equipment • Participant support • Foreign grantees • Include rate, base and brief explanation in budget justification

16. References NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) is now incorporated into the new Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). This document contains more detailed guidelines that are helpful in NSF budget preparations.

17. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Several of the slides used in this presentation were provided to me by Ms. Pamela Hawkins, Grants and Agreement Specialist in the Division of Grants and Agreements at the National Science Foundation. THANKS!!